To Make a Fairy
by Puppy Dog Love
Summary: Young Lila has wanted a fairy for her entire life. Annoyed by her baby brother and upset at her mother, who doesn't believe in fairies, she will do anything to get one.
1. Chapter 1

She loved fairies, and she really, really wanted one.

Lila was seven years old, and she had always wanted a fairy of her very own. She had read so many books and watched so many movies about fairies that she considered herself an expert on the subject. She didn't know why she had never seen one in real life. Surely she deserved a fairy, she thought, since she wanted one so much.

Every single day, rain or shine, snow or sun, she would go outside to look for fairies. She had recently watched one of the Tinker Bell movies, and she had learned about fairy camps. She would go and look in every tree that she could find and look for a fairy camp. But she never found one.

She kicked a stump. "It isn't fair!" she cried. "I want a fairy!"

She went home and sat in a chair, frowning hard. Her mother, holding baby Isaac, walked past. "Lila, why so sad?" asked her mother.

"I always look for fairies, but I have never even seen one!" Lila cried. "I'd do anything to have one."

"Lila," sighed her mother, "fairies aren't..."

Lila knew what her mother was going to say. "Yes they are!" she cried. "Did you know that every time someone stops believing in fairies, one dies?"

Lila's mother sighed. "Isaac is getting fussy," she said. "I'd better put him to bed."

Lila frowned harder as her mother walked away. It was always Isaac. Whenever she talked to her mother, Isaac always took her away. Lila sometimes wished Isaac hadn't been born. What use was a baby anyways? All they did was eat, sleep, and cry. She wished she didn't have a brother.

Lila, angry and irritated, went to go watch Tinker Bell again. Fairies were real, she knew it! She put in the DVD and watched. Then, she heard a line that caught her off guard. She'd watched this movie so many times and heard the line so many times before. But today she realized what it meant.

 _And the first time that a baby laughs, a fairy's life takes flight!_

Had Isaac laughed yet? She didn't know. Maybe he would be the key to finally getting a fairy.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day started out normally. Lila, as usual, went out to look for fairies. It was a lovely summer day, and Lila was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

"Fairies!" she called. "Please come here!"

Then she stopped. She realized that the fairies would probably be hiding from her. She decided to be quiet. As she spotted a tree a little bit away, she held her breath. She sneaked over to the tree, tiptoeing so she wouldn't be heard. She climbed its branches as quietl as possible and peeked in to the middle. What she saw made her almost fall out of the tree!

Fairies! Hundreds of them! They were all bustling around, not noticing the human girl. She quickly reached a hand in and grabbed one. The fairy she had grabbed began to make jingling sounds.

The fairies turned to look at the caught fairy.

"Help! That human who's always snooping around has got me!" cried the helpless fairy.

Panic overcame the fairy camp. Hundreds of fairies flew out. The one Lila had caught bit Lila's hand hard. She let go and shook her hand. "Ouch!" she cried. She tried to grab another one, but they were all too fast. They were all gone in the next moment.

"I had one!" Lila cried in frustration. Her eyes fell upon tiny leaf bags the fairies had left behind in their panic. She scooped them up with a hand. Carefully, she slid them into her pocket and climbed out of the tree. Once on the ground, she pulled one bag out of her pocket and opened it. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside. Pixie dust!


	3. Chapter 3

At the dinner table, Lila was chattering non-stop. "I found fairies in a tree!" she said. I got one, but it bit me and I let it go."

Her mother laughed. Surely this was all made up, but Lila could tell a good story.

"But they left their pixie dust," Lila continued. "And I got it! See?"

She pulled a bag out of her pocket and opened it. Surely her mother would believe now. She showed it to her mother.

But her mother just laughed. "That's just glitter in a leaf," she said. "But good story."

Lila was indignant. She had shown her mother real pixie dust, and she still thought it wasn't real! She stood up and ran into her room, slamming the door. Her mother would never believe her!

Lila put the Tinker Bell DVD into the player again. Now that she knew for sure that fairies were real, she was going to enjoy it even more. She patted the bags of pixie dust in her pocket as the movie began.

 _The baby laughed, and the laugh went into a dandelion. The seeds floated across the sea until they reached Never Land. Vidia guided it to the tree, and then Terence poured pixie dust onto it. It became a fairy! Queen Clarion appeared and greeted the fairy. Then she put pixie dust onto the fairy's wings and taught her to fly._

Suddenly, Lila paused the movie. She had pixie dust! She could make a fairy! Then her mother wouldn't be able to say fairies weren't real. And she would have her wish. She would have a fairy of her very own!

Lila raced out of her room and found her mother sitting in a rocking chair feeling Isaac.

"Has Isaac laughed yet?" asked Lila.

"No, I don't think so," her mother replied. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Lila replied. "Can I play with Isaac when he's done eating?"

Her mother smiled. "Yes, of course!" she said. "It's good to see you finally wanting to do something with your brother."

Lila nodded and ran back to her room. "Tell me when you're done!" she called, and then played the rest of the movie.


	4. Chapter 4

Finally, Isaac finished eating. He had a smile on his face. Lila took him, and he got a confused look on his face.

"That's your sister!" her mother said. "Lila, his toys are in his room. Have fun!"

Lila grinned and went to Isaac's room. She scooped up some toys, then went outside to the shed.

It was dark in the shed, and the floor was dirt. Lila noticed a dandelion growing near the door and walked over to it. It was full of white seeds. Lila laid Isaac near it. Now how would she make him laugh?

First, Lila began tickling Isaac. He grinned, but didn't laugh. Then, Lila held up a toy and wiggled it around. Isaac watched it, his grin large, but he still didn't laugh. Lila tried different things for half an hour, but Isaac never laughed.

In exasparation, Lila threw the toy to the ground. "Laugh!" she screamed. "Isaac, laugh!"

Isaac looked at his sister. She was jumping up and down, hopping mad. "Brother, I need you to laugh!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The sight of his normally serious sister jumping around and screaming was too much for little Isaac. He opened his mouth and began to laugh hysterecally. Lila stopped hopping and yelling. She ran over to the dandelion and watched as the seeds burst off. She caught one and didn't let it go. The others all slipped out the door, but Lila had one seed, and she could hear the laughter inside it.

She placed it on a little table that was in the shed. Isaac looked over curiously. Lila pulled a bag of pixie dust out of her pocket and poured all the dust onto the seed. She watched, mesmerized, as the seed changed into a fairy. The fairy lifted its head and looked around. Lila caught her breath. How beautiful!

The fairy was female. She had dark brown hair and lovely green eyes. Her skin was the color of a dark chocolate bar, and the tips of her ears were pointed. Her wings were hanging limply from her back, and she was wearing the dandelion fluff.

Lila looked at the fairy, who was looking around uncertainly. "Hello, little fairy," said Lila. The fairy, startled, looked at the girl.

The fairy said something which sounded like jingling bells. Lila smiled. Now, what was she supposed to do next? She recalled the events in her favorite movie. After Tinker Bell had said hello, Queen Clarion had put pixie dust on Tinker Bell's wings.

Lila reached into her pocket and pulled out a bag of pixie dust. She put some on her finger and put it onto the fairy's limp wings. The pattern glowed golden, and Lila could see the pretty swirly pattern. The fairy began to flutter her wings, and Lila quickly grabbed the fairy's hand before she could fly too high. What happened next? Lila remembered Queen Clarion teaching Tink to fly.

Lila twirled around, holding the fairy's hand. She let go at the right moment, and the fairy flew up into the air, then came back down and stood on the table. She was about four inches tall, Lila noticed. Now what was she supposed to do next?

The talents! Lila had forgotten that part. She didn't have any way to find out the fairy's talent! She decided not to say anything and to go to the next part, the name.

"Little fairy," Lila said, "I'm naming you..." She tried to think of a good name. "Ada," she said.

The fairy grinned and made a jingling bell sound.

Lila took the fairy in her hands.


	5. Chapter 5

Lila heard a crying noise. Her brother! Her brother had watched the fairy's birth intently, but now he was tired of laying on the ground. Lila put the fairy in her pocket and picked up her brother. She took him back to the house and gave him to her mother.

"Did you two have fun?" asked her mother.

"Yes," said Lila.

Isaac smiled and giggled.

"His first laugh!" his mother cried.

"His second," Lila said. "He laughed when I was playing with him."

Lila's mother smiled. "I'm so glad," she said. "I hope you'll play with your brother more often."

"Maybe," Lila said. As her mother took Isaac to his room for a nap, Lila remembered the fairy and ran to her room. Then she pulled Ada out of her pocket.

"Sorry, Ada!" Lila apologized. She set the fairy on her bed and looked around her room. There was her dollhouse, which was the perfect size for a fairy! She picked Ada up again and set her on a dollhouse chair. "This is your house," Lila said.

Ada looked very happy, and walked through the dollhouse to explore her new home. She fluttered her wings and flew out of the house, jingling like a bell. She landed in Lila's hand and sat down. Lila was infinitely happy. This was her dream come true.

Soon, Lila realized that she hadn't introduced herself. "My name is Lila," she said to the fairy.

Ada smiled. Her wings fluttered and she opened her mouth. Jingling sounds came out.

Suddenly, Lila heard her mother calling. "Lila! It's time to eat!"

"Ada, stay here in your house," Lila said. Ada nodded and flew over to the dollhouse. Lila opened the door to her room and walked out.


	6. Chapter 6

Ada looked around after the door shut. She sat down in a chair. She smiled. This was lovely! She reflected on all that had happened. The first thing she could remember was when she lifted her head. She had looked around the dark room, and had seen a large face.

Then, the face had spoken! "Hello, little fairy!" it had said. Ada had been surprised and had looked at the face. "Hello," she'd said. Then, a finger had put pixie dust on her wings. _How did she know that word? She didn't know._ Her wings had begun to flutter, and the hand had grabbed her by the hand and spun her around. Then it had let go, and she had flown into the air. She had looked down and seen the face, which belonged to a giant, she had realized then. She had flown back down and stood on the wooden surface she had been born on.

She had looked around again. After a bit, the giant had said, "Little fairy, your name is Ada."

 _Ada._ She had liked that name. She liked it now too. The giant had picked her up in her hands. Ada hadn't been scared. The fairy and the giant had looked at each other for a while. Ada had noticed the bright blue eyes the giant had, and the long, light brown hair. She had looked at her own hair. It was very dark brown, much darker than the giant's. The giant's face and hands were tanned from the sun. Ada had looked at her hands. They were quite a bit darker than the giant's. She had looked at her wings, which had a swirly pattern. The giant didn't have wings.

Then, there had been a loud noise, and the giant had dropped her into a dark place. Ada had been frightened at first, but she had decided to look around. She had felt a few leaf bags, and when she opened one, she'd seen the glittery dust. Pixie dust.

After a while, the giant had pulled her out of the dark place and had set her on a soft surface. The giant had apologized, then had shown her the house! Ada had been delighted with it, and had looked around it. Then she had flown out of the house. "Thank you!" she had told the giant, then had sat down on the giant's hand. The giant had told Ada her name, Lila. Then she had left, and here was Ada now. She wondered what Lila was doing.

Ada stood up and looked through her new home. There were many rooms in it, and one side was missing a wall so that anyone could see in. She walked into a room with a bed. It was pink, and Ada sat down on it. Oh, it was soft! Then she walked into another room. This one had a table and some chairs. She went into another room, which had a silver thing that was the same height as her. She opened the silver thing and saw something that looked like food! She bit into it hungrily.

Ada spit it out. It wasn't food at all! It was hard and tasted disgusting. She put it back where it had come from and went to look at something else in the room. It was as tall as her waist and had four circular things on top. She opened the door in the side of it. It was empty. Then she saw the sink. She tried to turn the faucet, but it didn't turn.

Ada was tired of this room. She walked out and entered another room. It had a sink too, but the faucets wouldn't turn. It also had a tub the length of her body. She laid down in it. It was the perfect size.

After a little while, she left that room. She went into another room and saw couches and chairs. Each one was very comfortable. She sat down on the couch and began fidgeting with her dress. It wasn't very sturdy, and Ada stopped picking at it so it wouldn't fall apart.


	7. Chapter 7

Lila was quiet for the whole meal. She slipped some peas and carrots into her pocket to take back to her fairy, and she ate all her chicken. She finished quickly and jumped out of her seat.

"Lila, wait," her mother said. "You have been quiet for the whole meal. It isn't like you. Is something bothering you?"

"No," Lila said. She tried to leave the table.

"Lila," her mother said. "Did you have fun with your brother?"

"Yes!" Lila said.

"What are you so excited about?" her mother asked.

"Um," Lila said. She didn't want to reveal the fairy to her mother yet. "I got... something new that I want to play with."

"What is it?" asked her mother.

Lila frowned. Why was her mother asking so many questions?

"A... toy," she faltered. "I found it... when I was playing with Isaac."

At the sound of his name, Isaac giggled.

"Can I see it?" Lila's mother asked.

Lila frowned harder. This was not going well. "I don't want you to see it yet," she said.

"Well, okay," her mother replied.

Just then, Isaac began crying. "Are you hungry?" asked his mother. She took the baby into the living room to feed him.

"Thank you, Isaac," whispered Lila. Maybe having a brother wasn't so bad after all.

Lila ran into her room and shut the door. She looked into the dollhouse and saw Ada on a miniature couch. Ada looked up at Lila.

"Hello, Ada," Lila said. "I brought you some food."

Ada smiled. Lila took the peas and carrots out of her pocket and set them on the little table in the dollhouse. Ada flew into the room the table was in and sat on a little chair. She began eating hungrily.

"Oh my, you are hungry!" Lila cried. "Don't worry, I'll bring you food every time I eat."

Ada made jingling bell sounds and looked happy.

Lila picked up the fairy with her hands. She noticed that the dress Ada was wearing looked more tattered and like it could fall apart any minute. She remembered that Tinker Bell had gotten new clothes in the movie. She would have to make some clothes for Ada later, but it was growing dark outside.

Lila noticed that the fairy's eyelids were drooping and she looked like she was yawning. Lila smiled. She put Ada on the bed in the dollhouse. Ada's wings drooped and she shut her eyes. Lila put the miniature quilt over the sleeping fairy and smiled. Ada was even more precious when she slept.

The door to Lila's room opened, and Lila hurried away from the dollhouse and leapt onto her bed. Lila's mother walked in, carrying Isaac.

"Good night, Lila," said her mother.

"Good night, Mother," Lila replied sleepily.

"Say goodnight to Isaac," her mother said.

"Good night, Isaac," Lila yawned.

Lila's mother tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. Then she turned out the light and shut the door.

Lila shut her eyes. Her last thought before falling asleep was of her new fairy.


	8. Chapter 8

Ada woke up the next morning, disoriented. What was she? Who was she? Then she remembered. She was Ada, the fairy.

Lila woke up too. She'd had a dream about Prilla, the fairy in one of the books she'd read. For a moment, she laid in bed wishing Prilla would visit her. Then she remembered. She had her very own fairy!

"Ada, are you awake?" Lila asked, jumping out of bed. She looked into the dollhouse and saw the fairy with her green eyes wide open.

Lila took the quilt off Ada and set it on the dollhouse floor. Ada sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Lila tried to remember her dream about Prilla. What was it about? Oh yes, now she remembered. Prilla had been trying out different talents in the dream. Suddenly, Lila had an idea that made her stand bolt upright. That was how she could find out Ada's talent!

Lila tried to remember what the talents were. There was animal, like Fawn. Oh, and tinker, like Tinker Bell of course. And light, and fast-flying, and garden. There was baking too, like Dulcie, right? Oh, and water, like Rani. Oh yes, and scout. These were all she could remember. She hoped that Ada was one of those ones.

"Ada," Lila said, "fairies have talents. So what talent do you think you have?"

Ada tapped her head, then shrugged.

"We will test to see what talent you have," Lila said. Her eyes fell upon a broken clay pot laying on her nightstand. She had made it in school, but it had fallen off the nightstand a few months ago and had cracked in half.

"Try to fix that pot," Lila said. Ada flew over to it and tried her hardest, but she couldn't.

"Don't worry," said Lila. "You must have a different talent." She saw the light shining through her window. "Try and move that light."

Ada flew over to the window and put her hand on the beam of light, but it just passed through. Ada shook her head.

"Don't worry," Lila said again. She saw the nearly-dead plant sitting on her desk. "Try and make that plant grow," said Lila.

Ada flew over to it and touched it. She pulled on it, but it didn't grow.

"Don't worry," Lila said yet again. She looked around the room, but didn't see anything else she could test Ada with. Then she held out her hand, and Ada landed on it. Lila closed her hand over Ada and walked out of the room. She went into the bathroom and opened her hand. Lila turned the sink on and said, "Try to pick up the water."

Ada flew over to the water and put her hands in. She pulled out a water droplet. Lila smiled. "You are a water fairy!" Lila said.


	9. Chapter 9

Ada was very happy. She had found her talent, water! Her green eyes sparkled as she touched the water coming out of the faucet again.

Lila heard a knock at the door. "Lila, are you finished?" she heard her mother say.

"Yes, almost!" Lila exclaimed. She grabbed Ada and shoved her into her pocket. Then she opened the bathroom door and ran out.

Lila returned to her room and pulled Ada out of her pocket. "Sorry, fairy," she said. Ada smiled and shrugged, and a jingle bell sound escaped her mouth.

Now that Lila knew Ada's talent, she decided to get some new clothes for Ada. Lila opened a small plastic box that she kept her dolls and their clothes in. She took a blue shirt off one doll and a blue skirt off another. Then she shut the box.

"Ada, now that you have your talent, I am going to give you a new outfit," Lila said. Ada, who was sitting on the dollhouse couch, looked up, and her wings perked up. Lila picked Ada up and set her on the bed. Then Lila pulled the dandelion fluff dress off of Ada. It was coming apart before Lila had taken it off, and now it was totally apart.

Ada looked around again. She was standing on Lila's bed, and beside her was her dandelion fluff dress. It wasn't really a dress anymore, just a pile of dandelion fluff. Ada looked down. She hadn't noticed how smooth her skin was before.

Lila took the blue doll shirt. It was a t-shirt with Velcro in the back to fasten it. She took one of Ada's arms and put it through one sleeve. Then she took the other arm and put it through the other sleeve. She fastened the Velcro in the back, then realized Ada's wings had nowhere to go. They were squished between Ada's shirt and her back.

"Hold on, Ada," Lila said. She found a pencil and marked lines on Ada's shirt where her wings connected to her back. Then she took Ada's shirt off again and cut slits on the shirt where the lines were. She put it back on Ada and pulled her wings through the slits. "There," said Lila.

Ada fluttered her wings and smiled. Lila was happy.

Next, Lila took the doll skirt and slid it up over Ada's waist. It fit perfectly, and Ada grinned. She spun around, the long skirt flaring. Ada looked down at her new clothes and seemed very pleased with how they looked. The shirt was a lighter blue than the skirt, which was dark blue and hung down to her toes. It was a tight skirt, and it was wrinkled from being in the box for so long. Ada liked it.

Lila wasn't sure what to do about shoes. None of her dolls had shoes, and even if they did, they wouldn't have fit Ada. She decided Ada could just go barefoot.

Ada was very happy with her new clothes, and Lila liked how they looked. Ada fluttered over to the dollhouse and sat in a miniature chair. Then Lila heard her mother calling her for lunch.


	10. Chapter 10

Lila told Ada to stay there and ran out of the room. She sat down at the table and saw that her mother had made green beans and salad. Lila didn't really like vegetables particularly, but she took a lot more than she usually did so she could give some to Ada.

"You haven't been outside at all today," remarked Lila's mother. "You usually are always outside in the mornings. Are you feeling okay?"

Lila nodded. "I'm okay. I just didn't feel like looking for fairies today."

"Have you finally realized that they aren't real?" asked her mother.

Lila could feel herself getting angry. She took a deep breath. "Mother, fairies are real."

Her mother shook her head. "Lila, you're getting older. Soon you're going to have to realize that fairies just don't exist."

Lila shook her head. She could feel the tips of her ears turning red. "They do too," she said. "I'll... I'll prove it to you."

"Well, you can try," her mother said.

Lila gulped. Now she had to show Ada to her mother. She had hoped she could have a few days with Ada to herself. She liked the idea that no one else knew Ada existed... Well, Isaac did, but he didn't count because he was a baby. But she would have to show Ada to her mother today now. This nonsense about fairies not existing could not go on any longer.


	11. Chapter 11

Lila returned to her room with green beans and lettuce in her pocket. She set it on the table in the dollhouse, and Ada flew into the room, sat down, and ate.

"Ada," Lila said, "I'm going to introduce you to someone."

Ads nearly choked on a green bean. She opened her mouth and made jingling bell sounds. Then she raised her shoulders and held out her hands as if to say, "Who?"

Lila smiled. "My mother," she said. "See, she doesn't..." Lila trailed off. She didn't have to tell that to Ada.

Ada looked at Lila with a confused face. "Never mind," Lila said quickly. "Eat your green beans and lettuce."

Ada turned back to her food and ate. When she was finished, Lila picked her up and put her in a pocket. Then, Lila walked out of her room.

"Mother, I need to show you something!" Lila cried.

"Just a moment, I'm doing the dishes," Lila's mother called back. "Can you watch Isaac for me?"

Lila groaned but walked to the kitchen and picked up Isaac. She went to his room and set him down. "I guess I'm stuck with you," grumbled Lila. "What do you want to do?"

Isaac reached towards his bookshelf.

"You want to hear a story?" Lila asked. Isaac gurgled. Lila took that as a yes.

"Once there was a fairy named Ada," Lila began. "She was born in the shed..."

Lila continued telling Isaac about Ada's birth. When she was finished, she saw that Isaac had fallen asleep. She put him in his crib and went out of the room.

Lila's mother had just finished the dishes. She saw Lila sitting in the living room.

"Lila, where's Isaac?" asked Lila's mother.

"He's sleeping," Lila replied.

Lila's mother smiled. "You are a big help. Thank you for spending time with Isaac. Now, what did you want to show me earlier?"

Lila grinned and pulled Ada out of her pocket. "Mother, fairies are real."

Lila's mother looked at Ada sitting on Lila's hand.

"Ada, this is my mother. Mother, this is Ada, my fairy," Lila said.

Ada smiled and held out her hand. She opened her mouth, and the jingling sounds came out.

Lila's mother took Ada's hand and shook it awkwardly. "Lila, this can't be real. It has to be some kind of robot or something."

Ada crossed her arms. She opened her mouth and jingled. Lila was incredulous. Her mother had seen a real live fairy, and she still didn't believe!


	12. Chapter 12

Ada, sitting in the palm of Lila's hand, felt angry. This giant, Lila's mother, didn't believe she was real! She stood up.

"Hey, I'm real," Ada said. "Why don't you believe Lila? Can't you see that I'm right here?"

"Lila, where did you find it? It might belong to someone," Lila's mother said.

Now Ada was even more angry. "She just ignored me!" she cried.

"I didn't find her," Lila said, "and she's mine."

Ada sat down again. Why were they just talking over her? Lila's mother was the first giant other than Lila that Ada had seen, and she didn't seem very nice. Was Lila the only giant who was kind?

"Well, where did it come from?" asked Lila's mother.

Ada was even more angry. "I'm not an it! I'm a she!" she yelled.

Lila touched Ada's hair. "She was born in the shed," Lila said.

"Are there more of these things?" Lila's mother asked.

Lila frowned. "Mother, fairies are born when a baby laughs for the first time. Isaac laughed for the first time yesterday, and that's when Ada was born."

Ada scratched her head. What was Isaac, and was that really how she was born?

"Lila, I don't believe in fairies," Lila's mother said. "And you shouldn't either."

 _That_ was too far. Ada, furious, flew out of Lila's hand and right into the face of Lila's mother. "I am real!" she shouted. "Stop ignoring me and calling me it! You may not believe in me, but you can't stop Lila from believing in me! I am real!"

Lila's mother, without warning, grabbed Ada by the wing and looked her over. "I don't see any screws or cracks," she said. "How ever did they make it?" She scratched Ada's arm with her fingernail.

"Ouch!" Ada cried. She tried to get away, but Lila's mother had too strong of a grip on her wing. She put her feet on Lila's mother's finger and tried to push herself away.

"Mother, stop! You're hurting her!" Lila cried.

"I can't hurt it, it isn't alive," Lila's mother replied. She touched the place where Ada's wings connected to her back. "How did they connect these?"

Ada looked at Lila with a terrified face. "Help!" she cried.

"Mother, give her back! You're scaring her!" Lila cried.

"Where's the off switch?" asked Lila's mother.

Ada did the only other thing she could think of. She turned to Lila's mother's finger and bit down hard.

"Ouch!" cried Lila's mother, and let go of the fairy.

Ada flew over to Lila and hid in her hand.

"Mother, she's scared!" Lila yelled. "You hurt her wing!"

"It bit me," said Lila's mother.

"She bit you," Lila said, "because she was scared."

"Robots don't have teeth," Lila's mother said. "It might really be alive."

"She is alive," Lila said, "and right now she's scared!"

Ada looked out from her safe place in the palm of Lila's hand and gave Lila's mother the most hurt look she could make.

"Those facial expressions are so realistic," Lila's mother said. "What did you call it - her?"

"Her name is Ada," Lila said.

Lila's mother reached towards Ada. She shrunk back, scared.

"I'm sorry, Ada," said Lila's mother. "I wasn't trying to scare you. I thought you were just another thing Lila made up to try to convince me to believe in fairies."

Ada crawled a bit further out from her safe place.

"What kind of fairy is she?" Lila's mother asked.

"She's a water fairy," Lila replied.

"Oh, good, she can help me with the dishes," her mother said.

Lila laughed. After a moment's hesitation, Ada laughed too.

"Well, I guess I was wrong about fairies," said Lila's mother. "Show me what she can do."


	13. Chapter 13

Lila was happy. Finally, she had succeeded in getting her mother to believe in fairies! She took Ada to the bathroom, her mother following.

"Ada, pick up some water," Lila said. She turned on the sink, and Ada pulled out a droplet.

"Wow," Lila's mother said.

"Shape it into something," Lila told her fairy.

Ada frowned. After a little bit, she ran her fingers over the water and shaped it into a fish.

"That's pretty neat," Lila's mother remarked. "What else can she do?"

Lila went over to the bathtub and turned on the faucet. When it was halfway full, she turned it off. "Ada, go dance on that water."

Ada fluttered down to the bathtub and stepped onto the water. She skated on the surface beautifully. She was grinning when she finished.

Lila's mother clapped and said, "You have a very talented fairy."

Ada grinned.

Lila told Ada to do a few more things, which she did happily. Then Lila told her mother, "Tell Ada to make a fountain."

"Ada, make a fountain," Lila's mother said.

Ada did so, and Lila's mother smiled. Then, Lila told Ada to do some more things. After a while, Lila's mother asked Lila if she could tell Ada to do something. Lila said yes.

"Ada, swim," Lila's mother said.


	14. Chapter 14

Ada dove into the water without a second thought. She had, for some reason, felt very proud when Lila's mother had said that she was talented, and she wanted to show off some more things she could do. She didn't question Lila when she asked for her to do something. After all, each thing Lila told her to do, Ada had found she could do. When Lila's mother had told her to make a water fountain, she was able to. So she didn't have any doubt that she could swim.

Ada was underwater, taking in the view. She loved being surrounded by water. But soon she had to come up for air. Her eyes widened when she realized she couldn't. Her wings were heavy on her back, and pulling her down.

"Help!" she tried to scream, but water just went into her mouth. She was going to have to get a breath soon. She couldn't help herself and breathed in water. Her lungs filled with water. She tried to cough, but she couldn't. She was drowning.

Suddenly, a large hand pulled her out of the water. Ada coughed, water streaming out of her nose and mouth. Then she lay there, breathing, with her eyes closed.

"Mother!" cried Lila. "Fairies can't swim!"

"Well, I didn't know," Lila's mother said.

"Their wings take in water and drag them down," Lila explained. "Ada could have drowned!"

Ada opened her eyes and looked up at Lila. "I didn't know," she said.

Lila stroked Ada's wet hair. "I'm so glad you are safe," Lila said.

"Let's go back to my room," Lila said. "Mother, I can show you where Ada lives."

They walked back to Lila's room. Once they were there, Ada tried to fly to her house, but her wings wouldn't work!

"Lila, what's wrong with my wings?" Ada cried. Lila smiled at Ada and said, "Ada, your wings won't work when they are wet. You'll have to wait until they dry."

Ada was relieved. Lila set her down in her house and said, "Show my mother around."


	15. Chapter 15

Ada stood in the bedroom of the dollhouse, pointing to her bed and making jingling bell sounds. She walked to another room in the dollhouse and pointed to things, still making the jingle bell sounds. When she finished showing the top floor, she jumped out of the dollhouse.

"You can't fly!" Lila cried, and caught her. Ada smiled at Lila. Lila set the fairy on the middle floor of the dollhouse, and Ada resumed showing her house to Lila's mother.

"It's very nice," Lila's mother said. "Wow, Lila, I never thought something alive would be living in your dollhouse."

Ada looked at Lila with a confused look on her face and made a jingling sound.

"It's your house now, Ada," Lila told her. "But before you were born, I used it for my dolls."

Ada turned back to showing off the house. When she finished with the middle floor, she stood at the edge of the dollhouse. Lila put her hand next to where Ada was standing, and Ada stepped into Lila's hand. Lila lowered Ada down to the bottom floor of the dollhouse, and Ada stepped off and into the dollhouse.

Ada showed Lila's mother the rest of the dollhouse. When she was finished, Lila's mother smiled and said, "It's a very nice house." Ada grinned.


	16. Chapter 16

Lila's mother had to go out of the room, for Isaac had awoken. Lila smiled at Ada. "Do you like my mother?" asked Lila.

Ada nodded and made jingling bell sounds.

Lila smiled. "Good," she replied.

Ada's wings had finally dried, and she could hold them up. She fluttered them, and then she flew out of her house and onto Lila's hand.

Lila smiled. "There, that's better," she said. "Now your wings work again."

Soon, Lila's mother called her for the meal.

"Now that my mother knows about you," Lila said, "you can eat with us." Ada looked excited and flew around the room. Lila laughed and picked up the doll table and a doll chair. Then she brought them out of the room. Ada followed Lila to the big dinner table.

"Lila, what are you doing?" Lila's mother asked.

"Ada needs to eat," said Lila. "I figured that since you know about her, it would be okay for her to eat out here with us."

"Well, I guess it would be alright," said her mother. Lila smiled and set the doll table and chair on top of the big table. Ada sat down in the small chair.

Lila saw what they were having that evening, pork and beans. She asked, "Is it okay if I get some salad?"

"I thought you didn't like salad," said her mother.

"It's for Ada," explained Lila. "She can't eat meat."

"Well, okay," said her mother. Lila went to the kitchen and got some salad. Then she returned to the table and gave the salad to Ada.

"I need to go get Isaac," Lila's mother said.

"Okay," said Lila.

Ada looked through the salad. There were carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes. Ada smiled and took a bite of a tomato.

Lila's mother came back with Isaac and put him in a high chair. Ada looked at him, and immediately felt a strong pull. She didn't know why, but she flew over to the baby. Isaac giggled, and Ada felt like she belonged with Isaac.

"Ada," Lila said, "be careful. He likes to grab."

Isaac stretched out a hand and tried to catch Ada. The fairy flew up and over his head. Lila said, "Ada, come back." Ada flew back to Lila and sat down.

"That is Isaac, my brother," explained Lila. "He is the one who laughed you up."

Ada smiled and took a bite of a carrot.


	17. Chapter 17

Soon, it was bedtime. Lila had put the table and chair back in the dollhouse, and now she and Ada were in her room.

Ada was very tired, and she flew over to her bed. However, the Velcro in the back of her shirt was irritating her, and she couldn't fall asleep. She finally flew out of her bed to where Lila was sleeping and pulled on a piece of Lila's hair.

Lila awoke, startled. "What's going on?"

Ada flew in front of her face and made jingling sounds. Then, the fairy pulled on her shirt.

"Is your shirt uncomfortable, Ada?" asked Lila. Her fairy nodded, and Lila got out of her bed. "I'll try to find you some other clothes for sleeping."

Ada smiled and flew into the dollhouse. She sat in a little comfy chair while Lila stumbled around trying to find the box where she had doll clothes. Soon she found it and opened it up. She looked through it, but she couldn't find anything that didn't have Velcro.

"I'm sorry, Ada," Lila said. "I can't find anything."

Ada's wings drooped, and she looked sad.

"It's okay," Lila told her. "Just try to go to sleep, and I'll find something tomorrow."

Ada flew into the dollhouse and laid down in her bed. Lila covered her with the little quilt, and Ada shut her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

Lila went back to her bed, and she quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Lila was up bright and early. She saw that Ada had finally fallen asleep, and Lila decided to go outside before Ada woke up and find some flower petals. She ran outside, still in her pajamas.

Lila searched the yard for flowers. Finally, she found a little blue flower no bigger than Ada's hand. She picked it, and then she found another big blue flower a little ways from the small flower. She picked it, then went inside.


	18. Chapter 18

Ada woke up. She wasn't disoriented like the morning before, but her back hurt where the Velcro had rubbed it all night. She sat up and noticed that Lila wasn't in her bed. Ada went to go find Lila, but when she tried to fly out of her house, she found that she couldn't!

Ada had jumped out of her house, and now her wings were beating furiously, but she didn't rise. She plummeted to the ground and landed on her rump. It hurt terribly, and Ada stood up with a cry of pain. She touched her wings. They weren't wet, so she didn't have any idea why she couldn't fly. She hopped up, but came down again on her feet. She sat down on the ground, ignoring the pain in her bottom, and began to cry. Where was Lila? What had happened to her wings? Would she ever be able to get back to her house?

The door to Lila's room swung open, and Lila walked in, carrying something.

"Lila, help! I'm down here!" Ada cried.

Lila walked over to the dollhouse and gasped. "Ada, where are you?" she cried.

"Lila! I'm here!" Ada yelled.

Lila looked down and saw Ada. "What happened to you?" she asked, picking the fairy up and setting her on Lila's bed.

Ada said, "I fell out of my house, and my wings wouldn't work!"

Lila looked Ada over. "Are you hurt?"

Ada nodded and pointed to her back end and her wings.

Lila looked at Ada's wings. "They look fine," she said.

Ada shook her head. "I can't fly!"

"Go back to your house, you'll be fine," Lila said.

"What part of 'I can't fly' do you not understand?" asked Ada. She jumped and flapped her wings, then came crashing back down onto the bed.

"Oh," Lila said. "You're out of pixie dust. It's alright, I have some more."

"Pixie dust?" Ada asked. "How often do I have to put it on?"

Lila took a bag of dust from her closet and poured it onto Ada's wings. Then she said, "There. You can fly again. You will need some more tomorrow. Each day you need some more pixie dust. You can last two days at the most, but after that you won't be able to fly and you'll need some more."

Ada nodded in understanding. She didn't know why she had known the word before Lila had told her about it. It was just _there,_ part of the vocabulary she'd had when she was born. But she could see that it was very important now.

Ada fluttered her wings and found she could fly again. She flew over to Lila and looked at what she was holding.

"Oh, these are clothes for when you go to bed," Lila said. "Tonight you can try them on." Then she picked up the little one and put it in Ada's hair, close to her forehead. Ada was surprised, and Lila said, "It's a flower for your hair."

Ada smiled and touched it. She liked the feeling of it, and she asked, "Where did it come from?"

Lila didn't answer.


	19. Chapter 19

"Lila, good morning!" came a voice. "It's a nice warm day, and I want you to go outside."

"Good morning, Mother," Lila replied. "Ada, stay here." Lila walked out of her room and went over to her mother. "Mother, Ada can't know about outside!" whispered Lila.

"Why not?" asked Lila's mother.

"If she finds out about outside, she'll want to go there, and then she might leave!" Lila explained in a whisper.

"Oh, I see," her mother replied. "But just tell her not to go far away, and you'll be fine."

"Okay," Lila said. Then she returned to her room.

Ada was sitting on Lila's bed. She opened her mouth and made the jingle bell sounds she always did. Then she lifted her arms in question.

Lila sighed. This was the question about outside, she was sure. She took a breath and said, "Outside is a fun place, if you're careful. I'll take you there after breakfast."

Ada grinned and looked excited. Lila smiled. She liked seeing her fairy happy. Lila quickly got dressed, then went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She motioned for Ada to come along.

Once they were in the bathroom, Lila turned on the water. She began to brush her teeth, then finished. She noticed Ada was staying far away from the water.

"Ada, come and get some water," Lila said.

Ada shook her head.

"Come on, you're a water fairy!" Lila cried. "Why don't you want to?"

Ada said jingle bell sounds, and her wings drooped.

"Don't be afraid," Lila said. "You won't drown unless you're wings get wet. Just come over here and pull out a droplet of water."

Ada timidly walked to the sink and grabbed a water drop. She smiled and shaped it into a fish. Then she threw it at Lila. Lila laughed. "That's better."

Lila walked out of the bathroom and went to the table. Ada sat on top of the big table, and Lila went to pour herself some cereal. She set the bowl down on the table and gave a piece to Ada. The fairy bit into it. Her face lit up and she ate the whole thing quickly. Then she reached her hands out for more. Lila smiled and gave her another piece. Ada finished it and wanted another, so Lila gave her another piece. Then, Ada was full. Lila finished her cereal, and then she got up.

"Come on, Ada," Lila said. "We're going outside now!"

Ada looked very excited. She clapped her hands.


	20. Chapter 20

Ada could barely contain her excitement. She wondered what outside was like. She fluttered up to Lila's shoulder and sat down.

Lila opened a door and walked out. Ada was amazed. This place was beautiful! She stood up and was about to fly off Lila's shoulder when Lila put her hand on Ada.

"Ada, you need to stay right here," Lila said firmly. "Outside is dangerous. A hawk could swoop down and eat you!"

Ada shrunk back, scared now.

"If you stay right here, you won't get eaten," Lila said. "Don't leave my shoulder unless I tell you to."

Ada nodded. She didn't want to be eaten. Ada was scared of dying, now that she had thought about it. It would definitely hurt, and then she would be gone. She shuddered and tried to think about something else.

Lila had reached a body of water contained in a plastic circle. Ada watched as Lila kicked off her shoes and stepped in!

"This is my pool," Lila explained. "Go on, fly down to the water and do what you want."

Ada flew off Lila's shoulder and stepped onto the warm surface of the water. She danced across it and smiled. "Lila, this is great!"

Next, Ada cautiously pushed a foot below the surface of the water. She found the bottom quickly. It was only up to her waist. She leaned forward and began to float onto her stomach, being very careful to keep her wings up high. She saw Lila sitting in the pool and watching her with amusement.

This was so relaxing, Ada thought. Forgetting her wings, she rolled onto her back. Her wings began to feel heavy, and Ada stood up with a start.

"It's alright," Lila said. "Here, try to make a bubble with air inside."

Ada scratched her head. Then she touched the surface of the water and made a bubble around the air at the surface. She smiled and held it up for Lila to see.

Lila grinned. "Great job, Ada! Now make some more."

Ada did so. Soon, her hands were full.

"Make it into a necklace," Lila instructed.

Ada attached each bubble into a long string. Then she put it around her neck.

"Now, you can go under the water, and when you need a breath, put one of the bubbles in your mouth," said Lila.

Ada smiled. She nodded and fell forwards into the water. Immediately, water surrounded her. Her wings pulled her down, but she moved around the bottom of the pool. She smiled and popped a bubble into her mouth. She was surprised, as she felt like she had just taken a breath of air. She swam under the water until her bubbles ran out. Then she stood up. She was now waist-deep, and she took breaths of fresh air happily. Her soaked wings were hanging into the water, and they were too heavy to lift.

"Ada, are you ready to go back inside?" Lila asked.

"Yes," Ada replied, nodding. Lila picked up the soaked fairy and set her in the palm of her hand. Ada's clothes, hair, and wings were dripping water, and Lila's hand got very wet. Once they were back inside, Lila went to the kitchen and got a washcloth. She gave it to Ada and said, "Wrap this around yourself until your wings and clothes are dry."

Ada did just that, and she was happy from the warmth it provided. Lila took her to her house and set her in a little chair. Then Lila said, "Stay here, I'll be back." Ada got comfortable as Lila walked out and shut the door.


	21. Chapter 21

Ada had dried out by lunchtime. The day went on as normal until it was almost time for bed. Lila had remembered the flower she had picked and told Ada to take off her clothes. After Ada had done so, Lila took the blue flower and picked two petals. She wrapped them around Ada in a swirl, and broke a piece of the stem off the flower. Then she bent it around Ada's waist and told her to tie it.

Ada tied the stem and looked down at her new nightclothes. They were so comfortable, and she smiled. The dress was sleeveless and went to her knees. She admired the pretty asymmetrical bottom edge, and twirled around. She was immediately tired, and she flew to her bed.

The next morning, Ada awoke feeling refreshed. Her back didn't hurt at all, and she twirled around happily. She found her day clothes in a tiny closet in her room. She slipped her night dress off and put on her daytime clothes, being careful to put her wings through the slits in the shirt. Then she remembered the pixie dust Lila had told her she would need every day. She flew over to Lila, who was still asleep, and landed on her cheek.

"Lila," Ada said.

Lila opened her eyes and said something about bells. Then she looked at Ada.

"I need more pixie dust," Ada said, pointing at her wings.

"Oh, the pixie dust!" Lila said. She hopped out of bed and took a bag from her closet, then poured it onto Ada. Ada fluttered her wings happily.

That day, Ada learned many new things about being a water fairy. She wondered how Lila knew so much about her talent, but didn't question it. She didn't go outside that day, but she didn't mind.


	22. Chapter 22

Ada was very happy living with Lila. Every day, Lila poured pixie dust onto her, and then Lila would go somewhere where Ada could practice her talent. But there came a day when Lila only had two bags of pixie dust left. She said nothing to Ada, but she wondered how she would get more. Since there wasn't anywhere she knew of where the fairies delivering summer had their camp, once they ran out of dust, Ada would be unable to fly.

"Ada, I'm going out for a bit," Lila said. "Stay here. I'll be back soon."

Ada nodded and waved to Lila as she left her room.

Lila pulled on her shoes fast and ran out the door. She was going to look for fairies again, but with a different intention then she had before. She knew to be quiet, and she sneaked on her tiptoes to every tree she could see. She didn't find any sign of fairies until she was walking back home. Then, she saw a fairy in the grass, oblivious to her presence.

Lila grabbed the fairy and held the fairy up to her face. "I won't hurt you," she said. "Just tell me where the fairy camp is."

The fairy, a female with blonde hair, shook her head. Lila heard jingle bell sounds.

"You have to tell me," Lila said fiercely. "Or else I'll put you in a cage." She didn't really have a cage, but the fairy wouldn't know that.

The fairy opened her mouth, and spoke jingling sounds. Lila shook her head. "Show me. I can't understand you."

The fairy pointed in a direction away from Lila's house. Lila, still holding the fairy, walked that way. The fairy tried to get out.

"I'll let you go when we get there," Lila said. "I can't know if you're tricking me or not."

The fairy shook her head. Lila walked the direction that the fairy had pointed until they came to an old, dead tree Lila had never seen before. She tried to climb it with the fairy in her hand, but only succeeded in falling down. The fairy's face had been scratched by the rough bark, and she tried harder to get out of Lila's hand. Lila held her tightly and finally succeeded in climbing the tree. She looked in and saw a big group of fairies. Lila smiled. The fairy hadn't lied. She let go of the fairy, then looked around at the camp. She saw a huge pile of leaf bags. There must have been at least three hundred! Lila smiled and reached towards them.

Fairies looked up, and their faces filled with terror. They all flew away as fast as they could, and Lila could hear a loud jingling sound. It was as if there were a million jingle bells ringing all at once. Lila grabbed all the leaf bags and shoved them into her deep pants pockets. Then she looked around. The once-full camp was deserted now. Not even one fairy was there. They had left in such a panic that they hadn't taken anything along.

Lila poked around to look at all the things the fairies had left. There were lots of things that were interesting to her, but the thing that caught her eye most was an assortment of acorn pots. She scooped them up and put them in her pocket, then carefully climbed out of the tree.

Lila ran home and went into her house. Then she raced to her room. She was glad to see that Ada was right where she had left her. Lila opened a leaf bag and was glad to see that it was, in fact, pixie dust. She placed them all inside her closet next to the two bags she had left. Then she closed the closet and told Ada, "I got something for you!"


	23. Chapter 23

Ada looked at Lila excitedly. "What did you get?"

Lila pulled something out of her pocket. She showed it to Ada. "It's a bunch of pots you can put things in!" Ada smiled. She thought of all the food she didn't eat at the mealtimes, and decided it would be the perfect thing to store in her new pots. Lila set the pots on the dollhouse kitchen counter, and Ada walked over and picked them up.

The one she had picked up felt nice in her hands, sort of like her night dress. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling her night dress, like the pots, had come from outside. Everything that was from outside felt nicer to her somehow. She didn't know why.

Ada pulled on her blue skirt. She liked it, but it didn't feel as nice on her skin as her night dress. She looked up at Lila. "Thank you!"

That day, Ada went outside with Lila. They played in the pool for a bit, and then Lila let Ada walk around on the ground for a bit while her wings dried. Ada felt the softness of the grass and the dirt. She almost wished she lived outside, where things felt so nice. Suddenly, she stepped onto a slightly lower piece of ground. It was muddy, and Ada slipped and landed on her back. She rolled onto her front and tried to stand, but she slipped again and landed on her face.

"Lila!" Ada cried. "Help!"

She slipped again, this time muddying her hair. Now she was completely covered in mud. Her blue outfit was a brownish color, and her dark skin was splotched with lighter brown patches of mud. Her pretty hair was caked with mud, and the blue flower in it wasn't blue anymore. Her usually translucent wings were now an opaque brown. She lay motionless on the muddy surface, trying not to slip again.

Lila finally picked Ada up. "Ada!" she cried with a note of terror. "Are you alive?" Ada nodded and tried to sit up. Lila brought her into the house and went into her room. She set the fairy on the dollhouse bathroom floor and said, "I'll be back."

When Lila returned, she had a cup of water with her. She poured it into the tub in the dollhouse. Then she went out again.

Ada, curious, stood up and spit mud out of her mouth. Then she touched the water in the tub. It was cold. She shivered and tried to warm it up. Soon, Lila had returned holding a tall bottle of something.

"Ada, you need to take off your shirt and skirt," Lila said. Ada, try as she might, could not peel the mud-caked clothes off her body. Lila picked up the fairy and quickly unhooked the Velcro, then pulled the shirt off. She then pulled the skirt down over Ada's feet. Ada looked at herself and was happy to see that her skin that had been under her clothes was its normal dark chocolate color.

Lila set the dirty fairy face up in the tub. Ada shivered and tried to climb out, but Lila held her down. "It won't be for very long," she said.

Lila squirted something out of the bottle she had brought into the room. When she tried to put it onto Ada, the fairy tried to move over so as not to get it on her.

"It's okay, Ada, it's only shampoo," Lila said. "It's used for cleaning yourself." Ada relaxed and let Lila rub the shampoo all over her wings and body. It felt a bit strange, but Ada didn't mind much. Soon, Ada was squeaky clean. But you couldn't say that for her clothes. They were as dirty as ever, and Lila took them out of the room. She came back, and Ada looked at her. "What will I wear?" Ada asked.

Lila looked at Ada. Then she opened the plastic box she kept her dolls in and pulled out a large blue piece of cloth. She tied it around Ada and said, "You can wear this until your clothes are dried."

Ada sat down in a chair. The piece of cloth was very uncomfortable, but it was only for a little while. She smiled, her green eyes sparkling. Her hair and skin were back to their squeaky clean state, and she was happy.


	24. Chapter 24

The next day, Lila said to Ada, "We are going to do something special today."

Ada sat up in her bed. Her night dress was a bit rumpled, and she stood up and smoothed it out. Then she changed into her day clothes. It was much easier for her to do than it had been the first time, as she'd had practice putting her wings through the slits and attaching the Velcro. She opened her mouth and made jingling sounds.

"Today, I'm going to fly," Lila said.

Ada looked at Lila with a confused face. She made jingling bell sounds and pointed to her wings.

"I don't need wings to fly," Lila said. "All I need is pixie dust."

Ada flew out of the dollhouse, still looking very confused. Lila instructed Ada to fly around her in circles. Ada did so, and soon Lila was covered in pixie dust.

Lila put her legs together and her arms at her sides. She remembered all about how to fly from her favorite movies and books. She flew around the room happily.

Flying was different than she had imagined it to be. The air whipped past her face, and it was really quite effortless. She flew up and down, smiling from ear to ear. Ada looked very surprised, and she flew to Lila. She sat on Lila's back as they flew around the room.

Lila landed near her door and opened it. Then she flew out, with Ada following her. Her mother was very surprised when she saw her daughter flying.

"How did you do that?" asked Lila's mother.

"With Ada," replied Lila.

Isaac, who was in his mother's arms, reached up to his sister and giggled.

Lila flew around the house happily, and Ada followed her. After a half hour, Lila could feel the pixie dust getting low. She quickly flew back to her room and landed before she was all out of dust.

Ada flew into the room and landed on Lila's hand. She was laughing bell-like sounds, and she looked very happy.


	25. Chapter 25

Lila and Ada had a very happy summer together, but the air soon began to cool down. When that happened, Lila knew that it was time to go back to school.

Lila liked school. Learning was fun, and she would be in the second grade this year. She had lots of friends, too, and she couldn't wait to see them again. All the same, though, she had a worry. What would Ada do while Lila was away? It would be all day, and she was sure Ada would become bored after a while. Did Lila trust Ada enough to let her stay home?

Ada always did whatever Lila told her to, and she didn't seem like the curious, adventurous type. Lila was pretty sure that if Ada was told to, she would stay in Lila's room the whole time she was away. But she couldn't be certain.

There was the option of taking Ada to school. But that could be dangerous. If someone saw Ada, it would be very tempting for the person to take her. No, she couldn't do that. Besides, Ada would not like being hidden away for the whole day, Lila thought.

When the first day of school came, Lila woke up bright and early and poured pixie dust onto Ada. Then she said, "Ada, I'm going to be gone for the whole day. Stay in my room until I get back, and don't leave for anything."

Ada nodded and waved to Lila as she walked out of the room. Lila went to eat breakfast, and then brought an entire carrot back to her room. This would satisfy Ada's hunger for the day.

"Goodbye, Ada," Lila said. "I'll be back."

Ada waved and opened her mouth to make the jingle bell sounds like she always did. Lila smiled and walked out the door.

Her mother was waiting. "Ready for your first day of second grade?" she asked. Lila smiled and said, "I'm definitely ready!"

Lila's mother picked up Lila's backpack and handed it to her. "Your lunch is packed, and you have all the things you'll need," said her mother. "Be a good girl while you're gone!"

Lila smiled and put on her backpack. Her mother kissed her on the cheek, then went to go get Isaac. When she returned, she said, "Give Isaac a hug!" Lila gave her baby brother a hug, then raced out the door. "Bye, Mother!" she called. Soon, the yellow school bus pulled up, and Lila got on.


	26. Chapter 26

Lila found a spot to sit and slid in. Right next to her was one of her friends, Karen. She had black hair and blue eyes, and was tanner than the last time Lila had seen her.

"Hi, Lila!" Karen said. "How was your summer?"

"It was great!" Lila replied. "How was yours?"

"It was amazing," Karen replied. "My family went on a vacation to an island. Did you go anywhere?"

"No," said Lila, "but I got something really amazing."

Just then, the bus stopped, and a few kids got on. One of the kids was Lila's absolute best friend, Margaret. Lila waved, and Margaret ran over and sat down next to Lila.

"Margaret!" Lila cried. "How was your summer?"

Margaret's brown eyes twinkled. "It was really fun," she said.

Margaret had blonde hair, which was even blonder than it had been last year, and she was very tan. "We went to the beach and got a house there for the summer," she said. "What did you do?"

Karen said, "Lila told me she got something."

"What is it?" asked Margaret.

Lila smiled. "Don't tell anyone else," she whispered.

Margaret's eyes widened. "Is it...?"

Lila whispered, "A fairy."

Her two friends gasped.

"Where did you get the fairy?" asked Karen.

Lila smiled. "Well, you know how I always look for fairies every day?"

Margaret nodded.

"I found a fairy camp, finally!" Lila said.

"Did you catch a fairy?" Margaret asked.

Lila said, "Well, I did, but she bit me and then she flew away. But the fairies had left their pixie dust there, so I took it."

Karen said, "But how did you get a fairy?"

"Well, you know my baby brother?" asked Lila.

Margaret nodded. "The one that you really don't like?"

Lila nodded. "I took him to the shed and made him laugh, and then I grabbed one of the dandelion seeds."

Margaret and Karen both said, "You made a fairy?"

Lila smiled. "Yes! I poured the pixie dust I had gotten from the fairy camp onto the dandelion seed, and it turned into a fairy!"

"Wow!" Lila's friends cried. "What does she look like?"

"Well," Lila said, "she's really pretty. She has brown hair and green eyes, and really dark skin. And she's a water fairy!"

"What's her name?" asked Margaret.

"Her name is Ada," Lila said. "But remember, don't tell anyone about her! She's a secret."

Margaret and Karen nodded and said, "We promise we won't tell anyone."


	27. Chapter 27

The bus soon stopped near the school, and Lila and the rest of the children got off the bus. They ran into the school, excited about the new year.

Lila reached her classroom. She walked in confidently and looked around for her desk. She soon found it, a desk that had her name on it.

"Attention, class," the teacher said.

Everyone turned to look at the teacher.

"Today is the first day of the new school year," the teacher said. "I would like each of you to introduce yourself to the class. Tell everyone your name and something you like."

One by one, each child stood up. The first one was a girl named Ana. She had light brown hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin.

"My name is Ana and I like playing dolls," she said.

The next child was a boy named Travis. He had light red hair, brown eyes, and freckles spattered across his pale face. "My name is Travis and I like swimming," he said.

As each child had their turn, Lila anxiously waited for hers. She knew exactly what she was going to say. After a shy girl named Sophie who had blonde braids, glasses, and green eyes said quietly, "My name is Sophie and I like... I like... I like flowers," it was Lila's turn.

Lila stood up and said in a loud voice, "My name is Lila and I like fairies." Then she sat back down. She noticed Margaret and Karen giving her secret looks. Lila smiled as she thought about her fairy. She wondered how Ada was doing.

After each child had their turn, the teacher told them to sit at their desks. She talked about the school rules and how to be respectful of others. Then she gave them a review of the things they had learned the year before.

Finally, it was time for recess. Lila was the first out of her seat, and she ran onto the playground. She sat on a swing and began swinging until she spotted Margaret. Then she jumped off the swing. Another kid got on while Lila raced over to her best friend.

"Lila, let's talk about your fairy," Margaret said excitedly. They climbed to the top of the playground and sat down.

Lila smiled. "You should see her. She is so fun, and she even made me fly once!"

"Wow!" Margaret cried. "Is she like a Tinker Bell fairy?"

Lila nodded. "She's the same kind of fairy. But she is a water fairy like Silvermist."

Margaret smiled. "Does she know Tinker Bell?"

Lila shook her head. "She doesn't even know that other fairies exist. I need to keep it that way too. If she learns about Pixie Hollow, she will want to go."

"Oh, okay," said Margaret. "Does she know how to talk?"

Lila said, "When she talks, it sounds like jingle bells. I think she does, though."

They talked a bit more about Ada, but soon it was time to go back in the school. They went back into their classroom and learned a bit of math. After that, it was time for lunch.

Lila sat at the table with a bunch of her friends. She took out her lunch and began eating.

One of the girls, a tall, brown-haired girl who wore pigtails, pulled a notebook out of her backpack. "Did anyone find anything out about fairies over the summer?"

Another girl, Caroline, said, "I found a fairy circle near a tree."

Polly, a short blonde girl, said, "I found a bunch of little houses in the forest."

Karen said, "Lila has..."

Lila looked at Karen with a stare that told her to be quiet.

"What do you have?" asked the tall girl. Her name was Nora.

"What Karen was saying was, I have found a fairy camp," Lila said quickly.

Nora didn't look convinced. "Where?"

Lila grinned. "I found it in a tree. I tried to catch a fairy, but she bit me and flew away. But I got some pixie dust!"

"Did you use it to fly?" asked the girls, intrigued now.

"Well... Yes, I did fly," Lila faltered.

The girls were very excited now. They asked Lila all kinds of questions about the fairy camp.

"Was Tinker Bell there?" asked a girl.

"I'm not sure," Lila replied. "They all flew out so fast after they noticed me."

Then, Nora handed her notebook to Lila. "Draw the fairy camp," she said.

Lila drew it how she remembered it as best as she could. Then she gave it back to Nora. Everyone crowded around her to see the picture. Lila was finally able to finish her lunch.


	28. Chapter 28

After lunch, the children went back to their classroom. The teacher taught them a little grammar, and then it was time for the second recess.

Lila ran outside to the playground. A group of her friends crowded around her.

"What does it feel like to fly?" asked one girl.

Lila smiled. "It's pretty much effortless, and I felt weightless."

The girls gasped and talked among themselves.

Then, Evan, a brown-haired boy who was a bit of a know-it-all, walked over. "Lila is lying," he said. "You can't really fly, and fairies aren't really real."

Lila looked angry. "I did fly," she said. "And fairies are real!"

"No, they aren't," Evan said.

All of Lila's friends told him that they were.

"You are all lying," Evan said. "Girls are so silly."

That was the last straw for Lila. "Fairies are real!" she yelled. "And I'll prove it to you. Just... you... wait."

Evan shrugged and walked away.

"That boy!" Lila said in disgust. "When will he ever learn?"

Her friends all shrugged. Lila continued answering questions about flying and the fairy camp, being careful not to mention Ada.

After recess, Lila and the other children went back to class. But Lila wasn't paying attention to the teacher. She was thinking of how she would prove that fairies were real to Evan. She scratched her head. Would she bring her fairy to school just to prove something to Evan? She didn't think it would be fair to Ada.

The teacher tapped Lila on the shoulder. She looked up.

"Are you listening?" she asked.

Lila stammered, "Yes, kind of."

"We have an important announcement," the teacher said. Then she went to the front of the classroom. "There is an important announcement," she said loudly, "so I need you to all pay attention."

Everyone looked at the teacher.

"In three days, we will be having show and tell," she said. "Make sure you bring something from home to show the class."

Lila was suddenly very alert. This was her chance to prove Evan wrong. She could show Ada to the class!

School let out soon after, and Lila ran to the bus, the gears turning in her head. She sat in a seat, and Margaret joined her.

"What are you thinking about bringing to show and tell?" asked Lila.

Margaret said, "I'm not sure, how about you?"

Lila smiled. "I know exactly what I'll bring."

Margaret asked, "Will you bring..." She looked around the bus to make sure no one was listening. "Her?"

Lila nodded. "You'll love her."

The bus soon stopped, and Margaret and a few more kids got off. "See you tomorrow!" Lila called. When the bus got to her stop, Lila got off and raced to her house.


	29. Chapter 29

Lila ran into the house, wondering how Ada was. She said a quick greeting to her mother, then raced into her room. She smiled when she saw Ada sitting on a chair in the dollhouse.

"Ada!" cried Lila. The fairy looked up, then flew out of the dollhouse to Lila. She was smiling, and she twirled around happily.

"How was your day?" asked Lila.

Ada opened her mouth and made jingling sounds.

"Well, my day was great!" Lila said after Ada was finished. "And in three days, we are going to go to school together!"

Ada looked very excited and fluttered around the room.

Lila giggled. Then she said, "There's a boy named Evan who doesn't believe in fairies."

Ada frowned and shuddered. Lila was sure that her fairy was thinking of the first time she had met Lila's mother.

"Just be careful of him," warned Lila. "He probably won't bother you, but be prepared."

Ada nodded sharply. Lila smiled and held out her hand, and Ada sat down on it. Then, Lila took her out of the room. She went to the bathroom, and then she turned on the water in the sink. Ada flew to it and began practicing her talent.

Lila smiled. She loved having a fairy. She was glad she had Ada, and she had found that the way she had gotten her fairy was the best way. Since Ada didn't know anything but Lila and what Lila chose to tell her, the fairy had no wish to leave. She was obedient and kind, and she would do whatever Lila told her.

Lila chuckled to herself. She imagined what it would have been like if she had caught the fairy from the fairy camp, the one that had bit her, and had brought her home. The fairy would always be trying to leave and run away, and Lila would have had to put her in a cage.

She smiled. Ada had a much better life than that other fairy would have had with her. Ada, because she had no reason to run away, was able to live in an open dollhouse with a comfortable bed. She was even going to be taken to school in three days! Lila truly believed that Ada was living the best life she could, and was very happy about that.


	30. Chapter 30

The next morning, Ada yawned as she woke up. She flew over to Lila and cried, "May I have my pixie dust?"

Lila, who had been sleeping, opened one eye. "You're like a little alarm clock," she mumbled. Then she got up. "Come on, I'll give you some pixie dust."

Ada smiled as Lila poured a bag of dust onto her head. This was going to be a great day. The fairy flew back to her house and changed into her day clothes.

Lila got changed quickly. Then she looked at Ada and said, "I have to go to school today."

Ada frowned. "How many more days do you have to go to school?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back," Lila said.

Ada's wings drooped. "You didn't answer my question," she said.

Lila held out her hand. Ada flew to it and sat down sadly.

"I'm sorry," said Lila.

Ada stood up.

Lila said, "I'll go get you your breakfast."

Ada smiled and flew back to her house. Lila left the room, and Ada sat down at her table. Why hadn't Lila answered her question? Ada concluded that the answer would be something that she wouldn't want to hear. It must have to go on forever, Ada thought.

Lila came back with Ada's breakfast after a little while, and Ada ate it hungrily. Then, Lila frowned. "I'm sorry, Ada, but I really have to go now."

Ada frowned and flew over to Lila. She gave her a hug, and then Lila left the room. Just before she closed the door, she said, "Remember, stay in here until I get back."

"Okay," Ada replied. "Goodbye, Lila!"

"Goodbye, Ada!" Lila cried.

The door shut, and Lila was gone. Now, what to do?

Ada fluttered around the room for some time. She really liked flying. Then she sat down on her bed. The unanswered question was still bothering her. Why hadn't Lila answered? She knew the most likely reason was because it would be something she didn't want to hear. But Lila always answered Ada's questions, even if the response wasn't something Ada wanted to hear.

Ada laid down on her bed and groaned. All this thinking was tiring her out. She closed her eyes and soon was asleep.

She woke up some time later and flew out of the dollhouse. What time was it? She didn't know, but she hoped Lila would come back soon. She pulled a piece of celery out of a pot and nibbled on it. She tapped the pot. She wondered briefly what it was made out of, then thought of water.

Water. She loved water. She flew into her bathroom. Lila had put some water in the bathtub for Ada, and Ada was very glad. She pulled some water out and shaped it into a fish. Then she pulled some water balls out of the bathtub and started kicking them around. After that, she put the water balls back into the bathtub, then began dancing on the surface of the water.

After quite a while, the door opened. Ada looked over, and there was Lila!

"You're back!" Ada cried. "Lila, I had a great day!" She proceeded to tell Lila all of the things she had done.

"That sounds nice," said Lila. "I had a good day. And it's almost the day you can go to school with me!"

Ada smiled widely. "I can't wait!"


End file.
